Tuesday, August 09, 2016

One bug to rule them all: 'State-supported' Project Sauron malware attacks world's top PCs...

Two top electronic security firms have discovered a new powerful malware suite being used to target just dozens of high-value targets around the world. The research shows that it was likely developed on the orders of a government engaging in cyber espionage.

The California-based Symantec has labeled the group behind the attack Strider, while Moscow-based Kaspersky Labs dubbed it ProjectSauron. Both are references to J. R. R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, a nod to the fact that the original malware code contained the word “Sauron.”

But behind the playful literary allusions is a powerful piece of software, capable of “harvesting” passwords on entire networks and “modules are designed to perform specific functions like stealing documents, recording keystrokes, and stealing encryption keys from both infected computers and attached USB sticks,” according to Kaspersky.

The team behind the project has been collecting data illegally since at least October 2011, said Symantec. It had been fooling even the most sophisticated detection systems until last year, when security firms began to identify its components at work, largely due to its choice of targets. Full story...

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